The union and unfortunate breakup of movie star and recording artist Tyrese Gibson and Samantha Lee has become an Atlanta story pulled from the tabloids and social media.
Gibson, who is an Atlanta celebrity only part-time (he spends the winters in Los Angeles), knows a thing or two about heartache as an R&B crooner.
Tyrese and Samantha: A Match Made In Georgia
This article will explore all we know about Tyrese and Samantha’s relationship. While the couple reportedly met through a mutual friend, what we now about their marriage is that it was short-lived.
Lee filed for divorce from Gibson, a six-time Grammy nominee, in September 2020 in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gibson has gone on record as saying that he has no idea why his wife left him. In various interviews, he details that his wife told him that she was exiting the marriage when he flew home from shooting a video in New Jersey. They had a confrontation outside his Atlanta mansion.
A few years ago, Gibson moved into a French Chateau–style mansion complete with a Bumblebee replica in the main room. The home has been a writing incubator for his many love songs and film projects since that time.
Inside Tyrese Gibson's Atlanta mansion. https://t.co/0lUPspN89m pic.twitter.com/8FeXypBXRC
— ATLHAPS (@atlhaps) October 20, 2023
Who Is Tyrese Gibson?
Tyrese Gibson is an American actor and R&B singer best known for his hits “Sweet Lady” and “How You Gonna Act Like That.”
To Generation Z fans, he’s likely most known for his role in the Fast & Furious films, as well as his appearances in the Transformers movies.
Gibson came to fame after appearing in a Coca-Cola commercial in 1994. He was 16 years old and was two hours late for the audition, but he nailed it. Looking back on it, he sees it as divine providence.
“After I did the Coke commercial, and I was singing on the bus, that confirmed that maybe this singing thing is for me. I had to figure out what God had in mind,” he said in the R&B Money podcast.
From that point, he launched a music career and produced several albums.
In 2007, Gibson married Norma Mitchell. In 2009, with the marriage on the outs, the couple began a five-year custody battle.
At some point, and it is not clear when, he met Samantha through a mutual friend and moved from Los Angeles to Atlanta.
Who Is Samantha Lee?
Samantha Lee, aka, Samantha Schwalenberg, is a clinical social worker who graduated from the University of Georgia and settled in Athens after getting her master’s degree in psychology in 2012.
In addition to an accomplished career in academia, Samantha, who is originally from New Jersey, also participated in the Miss Latin UGA pageant while in school.
In 2014, Samantha also earned a bartending certificate, which means she’s a mixologist as well. Can you say, “well rounded?”
At some point, Samantha began working for the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services. and spending her time posting social media videos about social topics affecting children.
Gibson said that when he met Samantha sat the time she was a “simple” person whom Gibson met in a “$12 sun dress,” he said.
When Did Tyrese And Samantha Get Married?
Tyrese and Samantha got married on Valentine’s Day in 2017. The singer announced his wedding on Instagram with the following caption:
“We’re so grateful and humbled by your outpouring of love! We appreciate all of the prayers and well wishes…. Life’s a trip…. Cause sometimes when you pray you get #exactly what your heart desires…….I got #MyBlackQueen I didn’t just marry her I married my daughters new example.”
The message was met with jeers from a lot of Gibson’s fans, who had an issue with him calling her his “Black Queen” when in fact Samantha is of Afro Latina heritage.
Why Did Tyrese and Samantha Get Divorced?
Gibson has said that he was stunned when his wife asked for a divorce and he still is unclear about exactly what he did to make her leave.
In a video about the incident, he says that Samantha displayed “narcissistic sociopathic behavior,” when they met with each other outside his suburban Atlanta mansion after he arrived from New Jersey after a video shoot.
“I said, ‘Alright, babe. Let’s go home,’ and she said, ‘I’m not coming home. I don’t live there anymore’,” Tyrese recounted. “She said, ‘I took all my stuff out of the house.'” When he asked her where she put her belongings, she told him, “That doesn’t matter,” and took the baby.
He has continued to share that he feels bamboozled by Samantha and feels that she faked much of her persona in their early days.
Since the divorce, Samantha has been very vocal on social media about relationship issues, including flaws in both men and women.
Meanwhile, Gibson has moved on with a new love of his life, a woman who goes by the name Zelie Timothy on Instagram, where she is an influencer and model. Gibson said that he hopes to marry Zelie soon.
How Long Has Tyrese Been With Zelie?
Gibson has been with Zelie for more than two years now. The couple went public with their relationship in March 2021.
Gibson and Zelie had a viral moment in 2022 when she said in a video that when they met it was not love at first sight.
“He wasn’t my type at all,” she said laughingly. “My type is Paul Walker,” as Tyrese looked shocked and said, “Don’t touch me.”
“Even when I met him, I was like, ‘Eh, he’s kinda old.’ I just like his smile,” Zelie said, with Tyrese looking on. “His personality was OK, but he didn’t understand the Instagram model thing. He would always talk down on Instagram models.”
Inside The Tyrese-Samantha Divorce
Despite having an ironclad pre-nuptial agreement, Gibson has said that Samantha has hired three attorneys in an attempt to breach the accord and get millions of his dollars.
He has also said that he has spent nearly $1 million in court fees on the divorce proceedings already — of course, that’s his side.
On the other side, Samantha hasn’t said much about the divorce — until recently.
Samantha Opens Up About Divorce From Tyrese
In a podcast, she admits that, “If I had different people in my ear, I would not have made that decision. No,” she said.
While falling just short of regret, it’s clear that Samantha feels like she didn’t have the support from her circle that she needed to remain in a good head space during the pandemic.
“Because you don’t have a certain person in your life to check you to say, ‘Sis, what about these strengths? What about what he’s not doing?’ Those types of things. That can get you thinking about the positive aspects of this person, that you may not be thinking about when you’re upset.”
Final Word
Gibson has been going to the legal system quite often of late. In August 2023, he filed a $450 million lawsuit against Home Depot alleging racial discrimination during an incident that took place in its Buckhead store.
The incident happened when Gibson’s two workers were disrespected by a Home Depot employee. “I tried to get them to fix it over the phone … We tried to handle everything privately off the record. They showed no respect with the lawyers … so, yeah, it’s that,” he said.
The Tyrese-Samantha divorce drags on, but the singer is determined to protect his reputation and his money. He also has released a pretty good R&B album to channel his pain.
If you like to have a good time on the dance floor or while listening to music, Atlanta has something for everyone. Check out the top live music venues around the city as well as best comedy clubs.
